Is the Coronavirus pandemic the wrath of God being poured out from heaven? Why?
What should be our response at this time?
Did God make viruses? Why?
Yes, God made the virus, but not to harm us. After Fall or sin entered, virus also get affected and it harms humanity.
Following taken from Answers In Genesis in Why Did God Make Viruses? article.
If God created everything good and with a purpose, why are there disease-causing bacteria and viruses in the world?
It is true that we first learned about bacteria and viruses because of the problems they cause.
Bacteria have been studied in considerable detail and are now recognized to be mainly helpful and absolutely essential for life on Earth; bacteria that cause disease (which developed as a result of the Fall) are the exceptions, not the rule.4
But what about viruses: what purpose could they possibly have?
What Is a Virus?
Viruses are a bit of an enigma (a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand).
They contain DNA or RNA that are found in all living things.
This is packaged in a protein coat.
Despite this, viruses are not usually considered living because they are not made up of cells and cannot reproduce by themselves.
Instead, the virus will inject the DNA or RNA into a living cell, and
the cell will make copies of the virus and assemble them so they can spread.5
Given our current knowledge of viruses, it is quite reasonable to believe that disease-causing viruses are descended from viruses that were once not harmful.6
It has been suggested that they have played an important role in maintaining life on Earth—somewhat similar to the way bacteria do.7
... ...
Is the Coronavirus pandemic the wrath of God being poured out from heaven? Why?
No, this Coronovirus pandemic is not the wrath of God, read through the following and find out why it is not.
Before Jesus Christ, God poured out His wrath or fierce anger only when His people disobey Him:
God also warned His people of the consequences of disobedience, including plagues (Leviticus 26:21, 25).
On two occasions, God destroyed 14,700 people and 24,000 people for various acts of disobedience (Numbers 16:49 and 25:9).
After giving the Mosaic Law, God commanded the people to obey it or suffer many evils, including something that sounds like Ebola: “The Lord will strike you with wasting disease (causing a person or a part of the body to become progressively weaker and more abnormally thin), with fever and inflammation . . . which will plague you until you perish” (Deuteronomy 28:22). These are just a few examples of many plagues and diseases God caused.
It’s sometimes hard to imagine our loving and merciful God displaying such wrath and anger toward His people. But God’s punishments always have the goal of repentance and restoration.
God said to Solomon in
2 Chro 7:13-14 - 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Here we see God using disaster to draw His people to Himself, to bring about repentance and the desire to come to Him as children to their heavenly Father.
In all these plagues, only disobedient people died and these plagues did not affect His believers who obey Him.
God so loved this world and out of His grace He sent His Jesus Christ to save the world and not to condemn the world:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In gospel God revealed two things:
Gospel reveals the Righteousness of God:
Romans 1:17 - For in it [gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Gospel reveals the Wrath of God:
Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness
Jesus came
to preach the gospel, to heal, set the captives free, ... :
Luke 4:16-21 - 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
to give the righteousness of God to those who put their faith in Him:
Romans 3:22 - 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
NIV: Romans 3:22 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
We are now in a grace period.
But Jesus did not come to condemn/judge the world or to pour out the wrath of God:
John 3:17 - For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Believers are not appointed for His wrath.
1 Thes 5:9 - For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 5:9 - Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
God will rapture the believers to heaven before God pours out His wrath:
1 Thes 1:10 - 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
How will God deliver us from the wrath?
God will rapture (taken-up) the believers to heaven before He pours out His wrath.
1 Thes 4:16-17 - 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
God has rserved last seven years before the second coming of Jesus Christ to pour out His vengeance or wrath which is called the Great Tribulation
Is 61:2 - 1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn ... ... ... 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.
During this time ...
The Antichrist will rule the world and at the middle of 7 year, he claims himself as God:
NLT: Dan 9:27 - The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven [years], but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
2 Thes 2:4 - 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
The wrath of Jesus Christ and the wrath of God will be poured out for last seven years before the second coming of Jesus Christ:
Rev 6:16,17 - 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. ... ... ... 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Rev 14:10 - 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Rev 11:18; Rev 16:19; Rev 19:15
Most of the judgment during this Great Tribulation happens all over the world and everyone in the world will be affected and the death toll be very high:
During fourth seal judgment one fourth of the world population at that time will be dead:
Rev 6:8 - So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
The world’s population during 2020 is approximately 7.8 billion people.
If it happens now ≈1.95 billion people will die in this judgment.
When God pours out His wrath He will protect the believers (as He protected His obedient believers in Old Testament times):
Rev 9:4 - 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
After every plague/judgments God looked for the repentance of any left behind people:
Rev 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Not only they are repenting but they will blasphemed God
Rev 16:21 - 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, .... ... ... 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
After pouring out His wrath and judging the people who rebelled against Him, He will rule the world for 1000 years.
Rev 20:4 - And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
After this dead non-believers will come back to life and God in the white throne will will judge these according to their sinful deeds and thrown into lake of fire (Hell) - Rev 20:11-15
After this God will create new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem and all believers will live with God almighty and His son Jesus Christ and the God Holy Spirit forever and ever - Rev 21,22
Since God reserved the last seven years before His second coming to pour out His wrath, so this coronavirus pandemic is not wrath of God.
Is God really in control? Explain.
Yes, God is in control because our God is Omniscient i.e all knowing God. He knows what is going to come in future.
NLT: Romans 11:33-36 - 33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!
How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the LORD ’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen
Nothing will happen without the knowledge of God. So, God allowed this Pandemic to happen
It may be happened like natural disaster
Without any evil intent this virus may be from bird or animal. It affected one person and then spread to many and due to carelessness or selfish reason it spread all over the world.
or it may be due to evil people who purposefully used this virus as a bio-weapon and spread the virus to affect all in the world
God didn't create everyone as robot but He created with freewill. So, God respects the freewill of every human being and this include both good and evil people,
For example, king Saul tried his level best to kill David for 15 years due to his evil heart and fear of loosing his kingship.
God didn't interfere with Saul's freewill and so He didn't force him to stop harming David but allowed all the evil schemes of Saul to kill David.
At the same time
God waited patiently i.e. given more time to Saul to repent from his sin.
God used this situation/trial to mold and shape David and made David as a man after His own heart.
We can see this in this following verses:
Mat 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "
God gave this parable to demonstrate that, by allowing evil people (tares) to live with believers in Christ (wheat) God is expecting those evil people to repent.
God is also expecting believers to show His love to this evil people.
God showed His grace to these evil people because He wants everyone to be saved.
1 Tim 2:4 - who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We do not know exactly why God allowed this to happen and how He is going to solve this issue.
God works in a ways that we cannot easily identify or predict:
NLT: Is 45:15 - Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways.
Is 55:8,0 - 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
But we know for sure that God is using this to bring good out of it, especially for those who love God and serve according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
He is reviving all the believers in Christ by drawing them close to Him especially making us to pray
He has proved that no one or any great country can solve this issue unless He gives wisdom to find vaccine.
Now even immature believers in Christ know that we need help from God.
This situation may make non-believers to realize their inability to do anything to solve this issue.
Jesus also warned about this when he lists what will happen during end times i.e. before the rapture and the Great tribulation.
Luke 21:11 - And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
In a way this is foretaste of Great Tribulation time for those people who left behind experience after rapture of believers.
We believers may watch this from heaven. But I doubt because we will be enjoying exploring the heaven.
In His time he will solve this problem.
What should be our response at this time?
Do not fear, panic, afraid, be anxious, ... God is always there to help us because He is our refuge.
God is in control He will take care of us.
There are 300 verses in the Bible that talks about do not fear, afraid, be anxious, ...
God is always available for you, no matter how much of a worst sinner you are, or if you are not sure that you will go to heaven when you die or you were backslidden and not walking with God:
Repent from your sins by turning to God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior because Jesus died for your sins.
Romans 10:9-11,13 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." ... ... 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Surrender your life to Jesus totally, renew your mind by reading His word in the Bible and He will transform you by filling you with His Holy Spirit:
NLT: Romans 12:1,2 - 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Abide to the local authorities instructions.
Social distancing.
Stay at home.
Attend the church via online.
Have fellowship via phone or video calls,
...
Continue to pray to God.
Ask God to reduce the time of this pandemic for believer's sake
Matt 24:21,22 - 21 For then there will be great tribulation [7 year before Jesus 2nd coming] , such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
Ask God to miraculously solve this issue by not spreading and healing all those who have this virus.
Ask God to give wisdom to people to find vaccine/medicine to solve this issue
Ask God to give wisdom to Christian doctors, Christian Medical care organizations such as Samaritan's Purse to find a vaccine and glorify God. All glory needs to go to almighty God Jesus Christ.
For Ebola virus Billy Graham's son's Franklin Graham's association Samaritan purse mainly supported and missionary doctors went from USA and helped resolve the issue.
Ask God to leads us to reach out and touch those who are in need at this time.
Ask God to protect us from this pandemic.
Ask God to protect our job.
Ask God to put the burden at this time to be generous to those who are in need.
Ask God to put the burden to pray for those who are sick, the first responders, leaders, ...
Ask God to draw all to come closer to Him.
Do whatever He leads us to do:
God is looking for man and women after His own heart.
NIV: Acts 13:22 - After removing Saul, he [God] made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
If you are ready and open to do whatever God wants to do then He will use you by giving you the tasks to do.
Summary:
Yes, God made the virus, but not to harm us. After Fall or sin entered, virus also get affected and it harms humanity.
Is the Coronavirus pandemic the wrath of God being poured out from heaven? Why?
No, this Coronovirus pandemic is not the wrath of God, because God has reserved the last seven years before His second coming to pour out His wrath.
Is God really in control? Explain.
Yes, God is in control because our God is Omniscient i.e all knowing God. He knows what is going to come in future.
Nothing will happen without the knowledge of God. So, God allowed this Pandemic to happen.
We do not know exactly why God allowed this to happen and how He is going to solve this issue.
God works in a ways that we cannot easily identify or predict.
But we know for sure that God is using this to bring good out of it especially for those who love God and serve according to His purpose.
In His time he will solves this problem.
Do not fear, panic, afraid, be anxious, ... God is always there to help us because He is our refuge.
God is always available for you, no matter how much of a worst sinner you are, or if you are not sure that you will go to heaven when you die or you were backslidden and not walking with God:
Repent from your sins by turning to God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior because Jesus died for your sins.
Surrender your life to Jesus totally, renew your mind by reading His word in the Bible and He will transform you by filling you with His Holy Spirit:
Abide to the local authorities instructions.
Continue to pray to God.
Do whatever He leads us to do..